Potato Leek Pie Recipe

The concept of tarte salée ("savory pie" in French) is pretty simple. The flaky dough is made with puff pastry and the filling is usually made from vegetables with a cheese topping. This time around, I made a potato pie. The first inside layer is very similar to the leek quiches I made a few months ago. I topped the pie with gorgonzola cheese for added flavor.

It's easy to assemble once the potato slices are pan-fried. Just pair the pie with a healthy green salad. Enjoy!

Savory Muffin Recipe: Mushroom Cream Cheese Muffins

This morning, I prepared a batch of savory cake batter. I flavored it with fresh herbs from the garden, goat cheese, cream cheese, garlic and shiitake mushrooms. I baked them later in the day and had already prepared a garlic herb goat cheese spread to go along with the savory treats. It was "un délicieux en-cas", which literally means in French a "delicious in case of [I get hungry]"!

Indian Style Black Eyed Pea Rice (Pulao Recipe)

Feeding a vegetarian crowd isn't as difficult as it may seem. I usually pair a legume with rice, which is the perfect balance for a vegetarian diet. I've been getting fresh black-eyed peas (also known as "cow peas") at the local stand, and instead of serving them as a boring bean salad, I incorporated them in a rice dish, flavored with Indian spices. I've made this dish in the past; it's called "pulao". Our family loves the burnt rice at the bottom of the pot, called "kurchan".

First, I sautéed black-eyed peas in onions, garlic, cider vinegar and red chili powder. They're very firm, so they take slightly longer to cook then the parboiled dried variety. I let them simmer until tender, then finished cooking them with steamed basmati rice and baby spinach.

Korean BBQ Beef Ribs

Even though the weather wasn't as sunny as I would have expected, we still used our barbeque grill this weekend. Specifically, we grilled 3 pounds of Korean-style beef ribs. We devoured and licked every piece until there were only bones left. I buy beef ribs at a local Korean store; you'll notice there are 3 types of ribs. I always choose the most tender one, which is the most expensive. In addition to the finest quality of meat, I always marinate the meat with a sweet tenderizer: Asian pear. I've used papaya paste in the past as well as buttermilk, but I find that the fruit purée adds a pleasant sweetness to the grilled meat dish.

I usually serve these with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice and pickled cabbage on the side. However, I would recommend eating them in moderation because of they're high in cholesterol.

Vegetarian Nihari (Spicy Tofu Recipe)

One of my most favorite Indian dishes is nihari. It's a goat (or any other meat) stew dish. It's spicy, flavorful and the meat is extremely tender. I love dipping naans (flat Indian bread) in the sauce. But I always end up feeling so bad when I see my husband Lulu, who is a vegetarian, staring at me. So this time, I also made a tofu version using the same gravy sauce.

I chose medium-firm tofu and Japanese eggplants and deep-fried them. The texture is perfect once they are soaked in the spicy sauce. I also added broccoli for a balanced meal. The advantage of the veggie version is it's just as tasty, much healthier (I omitted the bhaghar, a typical final layer of red oil in a lot of Indian dishes) and it cooks a lot faster than the meat version.